The “Secret Life” of Larchmont Producer at Chat 19

by Susan Stewart

(December 15, 2005) “It’s my job to be obnoxious.”

That’s how Larchmont resident Leslie Holleran defines what she does, which is to produce movies. The producer of “Chocolat” and the upcoming “Casanova” spoke at the December 1 Food & Thought speaker series at Chat 19 in Larchmont, describing “a secret life” that has her “tromping in sneakers through Nova Scotia” and “fighting with the studio that wants to cut a scene.”

Producer Leslie Holleran at Chat 19 displays a prop from the set of her upcoming movie "Hoax" with Richard Gere.

When she’s not on location working with director Lasse Hallestrom, Ms. Holleran can be found at home in Larchmont with her husband, film editor Andy Mondshein, and their teenage son Taylor (their older son is in college). The job “is what gets me out of bed in the morning,” but it’s also “why I was never around to give out pizza.”

While other mothers are doling out the pizza, Ms. Holleran could be in Venice, arranging food for 350 cast and crew members to be brought to the set in boats, or at home reading scripts. “I spend my days reading and talking. I have ruined my eyes and I have cell-phone head.”

She’s not complaining. Ms. Holleran left a management career in the mid-80’s because the grass looked greener on the Hollywood side of the fence.

“I was sitting there talking about dry Fortune 500 companies and my husband was editing on a Movieola.”

He seemed to be having more fun, so Ms. Holleran took the plunge. Her first co-producer credit was “The Cider House Rules” in 1999. After the Academy-Award nominated “Chocolat” came “The Shipping News” in 2001.

“I know everyone saw ‘The Shipping News.’ I’m kidding.”

Ms. Holleran is philosophical about her disappointments, which include this year’s “An Unfinished Life.”

“Our movie was out and gone in a flash. You might have been on the phone.”

She blames timing for “Life’s” early death. It was an “old man buddy story” starring Morgan Freeman that came out on the heels of “Million Dollar Baby,” also an old man buddy story starring Morgan Freeman.

“People thought it was derivative,” she said.

On to the next release: “Casanova,” starring Heath Ledger as the legendary lover, and slated to open this month. Ms. Holleran didn’t mind working with Ledger. “He’s divine. He’s old beyond his years. He’s a very sexy kid.”

Beyond her next projects, Ms. Holleran isn’t sure what is in store for the movie business, whose economics are changing rapidly.

“I don’t know how we are going to drag people out to these movies when they can wait 12 minutes and watch them at home on DVD.”

Note: Plenty of people are still going to movies, as evidenced by the planned renovation of the Pelham Picture House into a three-screen, state-of-the-art regional film center. Leslie Holleran has been supporting the project and will be honored along with Lasse Hallestrom and Matt Dillon on the center’s first annual gala on January 21. (See: Mam'k Native Matt Dillon Returns for Picture House Gala)

Coming up: The spring line-up is still forming, but first at bat will be John Taylor Gatto, who was twice named NY State Teacher of the Year before he quit in frustration to write about what’s wrong with American education. Ms. Holleran was the last speaker in the fall series that included restaurant critic Alan Richman and the NYC advocate for the homeless, Mary Brosnahan Sullivan. For more information about the Food & Thought speaker series, please email foodandthought@optonline.net.

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